


one better

by helsinkibaby



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: F/M, Fictober, Fluff, Het, Romance, Schmoop, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27014506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Steve has a surprise for Noelani.
Relationships: Noelani Cunha/Steve McGarrett
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	one better

**Author's Note:**

> For fictober 2020 day 3 “you did this?”

Noelani breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the front door behind her, grinning as Eddie came trotting over to greet her. “Hey, buddy.” She rubbed his ears, laughing as he bumped his nose against her swollen belly. He’d been doing that ever since she’d started to show and Steve had wasted no time in telling anyone who would listen that the dog was already taking care of the baby. Noelani wasn’t so sure he was wrong. 

“Noelani? That you?” As if her thoughts had conjured him up, Steve’s voice floated down, slightly muffled, like he was behind a closed door. Once upon a time - like, say, seven months ago - Noelani would have made her way upstairs to join him the second she heard his voice. Today, though, she was tired and the thought of the stairs seemed like a bridge too far. Of course, that impulse was also, she reflected as she rubbed her stomach, how she got in this state in the first place. 

“Come down,” she called. “I need someone to rub my feet.” 

There was a slight pause, then Steve’s answer. “Come up,” he said. “You can lie down and I’ll rub your back too.” 

Noelani tilted her head. That was unusual. Not the offer. But for the last seven months, Steve had been completely attentive and had never, not once, refused any of her requests. “Are you okay?” she called as she climbed the stairs but he didn’t answer her. Frowning now, she made her way to their bedroom, opening the door and finding the bed empty. “Steve?” 

“I’m here.” She startled slightly, turning around to find him standing in front of the spare room, the one that housed boxes of random McGarrett stuff that hadn’t been touched in years, if not decades. His hand was behind him, holding the doorknob and though he looked completely calm, she knew him well enough to know that he was nervous. “I have a surprise for you.” 

Running a hand down her stomach, shifting her dress so that the bump stood out in stark relief, Noelani lifted an eyebrow. “Isn’t that how we got here?” she asked and Steve chuckled. 

“Funny girl,” he said. Then he walked over to her, rested his hand over hers before bringing it to his lips. “Come on.” 

Curious now, she followed him back to the door, not at all surprised when he said, “Close your eyes.” Even though she did it, he still put his hands over her face, leading her into the room and the smell of fresh paint hit her straight away. 

“Steve...”

“Open wide.” 

The last time she’d peeked in that room, boxes were everywhere. Now, it had been transformed, wooden floors gleaming, walls painted a pale shade of pink, a changing unit against one wall, a white wooden crib in the corner. Her jaw dropped as she looked around, taking it all in, and when she looked back at Steve, he was grinning broadly. “You like it?” 

“You did this?” 

Steve looked around and shrugged, slipping an arm around her waist. “I had a little help from Junior. And Danny. And Grover. But it was mostly me.” He jutted his chin towards the crib. “And... ah... you should look in there.” 

He walked over with her and what she saw in the crib made Noelani’s breath hitch. Her vision blurred with sudden tears and she reached out, her fingers closing around a plush elephant, material that was soft and worn and well-loved. “It’s Humphrey,” she heard herself saying, the familiar crooked stitches holding one ear in place proving it beyond all doubt. “How did you...”

“I called your mom, asked if there was any toy you really loved when you were a kid, I thought I could find one just like it,” he told her, and the thought, the sentiment behind it unleashed the tears standing in her eyes. “She did me one better.” Noelani buried her face in the toy’s fur, closing her eyes. Steve rubbed her shoulder. “These are good tears, right?” He actually sounded worried. 

“Very good.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze and what he saw there had relief rushing across his face. “I love it... thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” He leaned down, brushed his lips across hers briefly, then pulled her into a hug, her head nestled snugly against his chest. 

“I love you,” she told him and he tightened his grip on her. 

“I love you too.”


End file.
